The present invention is generally related to hinge assemblies for toilet coverings and is more particularly directed to hinged damping apparatus for providing slow closing of toilet seats and toilet covers in order to prevent impact sounds otherwise common when a toilet seat or lid is dropped.
Toilet covering hinged assemblies have been designed in order to prevent accidental falling of a toilet seat with a generally unpleasant impact noise.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,393,624, a damping device for damping relative motion of a rotating member is provided which includes a damping mechanism with a viscous liquid disposed in a chamber along with a rotor also disposed in the chamber. The rotor includes a plurality of oil impingement parts, which are hingeably attached to the rotor. The structure of these damping hinge assemblies is complicated and includes a number of interconnected small parts, which not only makes assembly difficult but adds to manufacturing costs.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,122 discloses a rotary damper having a rotating member with at least one support projection for supporting a movable valve. However, because the valve 26 is disposed over the support projection failsafe operation over a long periods of time may not be possible due to the likelihood of dislodgement of the moveable valve from the support projection.
The present invention is directed to toilet seat and toilet cover damping apparatus, which includes a few parts, has easy assembly and provides for secure valving operation.
Damping apparatus for a toilet seat and toilet cover in accordance with the present invention preferably includes a hinged frame, which is adapted for being secured to a toilet, which hingeably supports the toilet seat and the toilet cover for independent movement over a toilet bowl.
A pair of mirror image dampers are disposed in the hinged frame for coupling with the toilet seat and the toilet cover and providing independent damped closure of the toilet seat and the toilet cover.
Each of the dampers preferably includes a housing having a chamber, a bore and a bearing disposed therein. The bearing has a smaller diameter than a chamber inside diameter and the bore and the housing includes an end wall disposed between the chamber inside diameter and the bearing.
A rotor is provided, which is includes a first portion rotatably disposed in the chamber and a second portion for supporting a key. The key is engaged with one of the toilet seat and toilet tank cover. Accordingly, each of the dampers is operable for independent damping of either the toilet seat or toilet cover.
A shank, formed in the first portion of the rotor, sealably engages a chamber and a journal, protruding from a shank, engages the bearing for rotation therein. The journal includes a smaller diameter than the chamber inside diameter.
A fluid is disposed in the chamber and an end seal, disposed in the bore, is provided for engaging the journal and sealing the fluid within the chamber. During assembly the fluid may be disposed within the chamber before the end seal is disposed in the bore and engages the journal. This facilitates assembly of the apparatus.
A pair of slotted arms are formed in the journal, which are disposed 180xc2x0 from one another and each arm has an end face for sealably and slidably engaging the chamber end wall. A pair of vanes is provided with each vane being disposed in one of the arm slots and pivotable therein for enabling each vane to extend outward from a respective arm for engaging the chamber inside diameter upon rotation of the rotor in one direction to resist flow of the fluid therepast.
This provides a resisted movement in the one direction and provides damped movement of one of the toilet seat or the toilet seat cover.
The pivotable action of the vanes enables inward movement thereof from the chamber inside diameter to enable less resistive flow of the fluid therepast upon rotation of the rotor in an opposite direction and this provides undamped movement of one of the toilet seat and the toilet seat cover in the opposite direction.
More particularly, the end seal comprises a screw therethrough for threadably engaging the journal for preventing longitudinal movement of the rotor within the chamber. In addition, the end seal screw also biases, or forces, the slotted arm ends against the chamber end wall. Control of overall movement of the toilet seat and cover may be provided by adjustment of the second seal screw.
Each of the slotted arms include a longitudinal slot for receiving a respective vane. More particularly, each slot is open to a respective arm surface, which faces the chamber inside diameter and the slot openings are narrower than a slot cavity subtending each opening. Each vane includes a flap portion disposed at a generally right angle with a shank portion and the shank portion includes a neck for slidably engaging a respective slot opening and a body portion sized for pivoting within the slot cavity. The body portion includes a dimension for preventing passage through a respective slot opening.
Still more particularly, each of the end seals includes means for rotationally locking each end seal with a respective rotor and preferably such means includes a slot on each journal end and a key in each end seal for engaging a respective end slot.